Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 160 The Qixi Literary Gathering! A mistake in the melody, and Jiang Lang notices!

a few days later.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated.

Jiang Xingzhou arrived at the governor's office in the morning dew, where traces of last night's rain still lingered on the bluestone steps.

He strolled into Sima Gong's office, lifted his robe and sat down, picked up his brush and dipped it in ink. On his desk were a dozen or so official documents that had been delivered the day before, neatly stacked.

The vermilion brush tip danced across the paper, sometimes outlining, sometimes annotating. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the official documents on the table had been divided into two stacks.

A stack of official documents, well-organized and supported by evidence, were approved for implementation.

A stack of official documents, with unclear wording and ambiguous accounts, was rejected and required to be revised.

"We're done today!"

Jiang Xingzhou put down his vermilion brush, flicked his sleeves and stood up. Outside the government office, the sky was already bright.

Since he took on this sinecure as an intern Sima, he only had to clock in at dawn each day, review a few documents, and spend the rest of his time as he pleased, wandering around Jinling City.

In the morning, he liked to stroll to the head of Zhuque Bridge and look for the old man's wonton stall.

The clear broth floats like snowflakes in the celadon bowl, the thin dough as delicate as a cicada's wing, wrapped around a bit of tender pink meat filling, piping hot and fragrant as it slides into your throat, even the morning mist feels a little warmer.

At midday, I would stroll to the entrance of Wuyi Lane and listen to the flower girls' sweet voices as they carried baskets of jasmine and half a basket of gardenias, their fragrance wafting through the alleyways.

As dusk settles, he leans against the carved railing of a painted boat on the Qinhuai River, letting the soft Wu dialect mingle with the apricot blossom wine, flowing between his lips and teeth. Amidst the sounds of oars and the flickering lanterns, he feels as if he could be intoxicated for the entire night.

This kind of leisurely life can be considered as stealing half a day of quiet joy in a busy life.

"Stealing half a day of leisure from a busy life, doing nothing is quite pleasant!"

Jiang Xingzhou sighed with emotion as he walked slowly down the long street, his hands behind his back, as autumn deepened.

The autumn imperial examinations have concluded, and there is still half a year until the spring imperial examinations next year, when I will travel to the capital to take the exams.

This sinecure as an intern Sima is merely a temporary measure. When I go to the capital for the imperial examinations next year, I fear I will no longer have such leisurely days.

I'm afraid it will be hard to have such leisurely time with nothing to do again in the future.

He was strolling leisurely when he saw that the entire city of Jinling had changed its appearance, and the streets were bustling with noise.

The city of Nanjing is like an overturned rouge box, suddenly revealing a dazzling array of beauty.

On both sides of the bluestone imperial road, craftsmen are erecting colorful pavilions over ten feet tall, with Xiangfei-colored gauze curtains hanging down from the gaps in the mortise and tenon joints, resembling clouds and mist perched on trees.

The stone bridge in front of the Jiangnan Examination Hall has been transformed into the "Qiqiao Bridge" at some point in time.

The bridge railings are adorned with jeweled necklaces, and dozens of glass palace lanterns hang in the shape of a celestial river. The lanterns are decorated with small, meticulously painted portraits of magpies meeting on a bridge. As the candlelight flickers, it seems as if real magpies are about to take flight.

An old woman selling fried dough sticks set up a small red clay stove at the bridgehead. The freshly fried dough sticks sizzled, and the sweet aroma mixed with the scent of agarwood from the girls' clothes, creating a unique Qixi Festival flavor in the evening breeze.

Several young children with their hair in tufts of hair ran over carrying bamboo lanterns. The ink stains on the silk gauze were still wet, indicating that they had just copied the Qiqiao poems at the Confucian Temple.

The hustle and bustle of Gongyuan Street gradually spread, and as wine flags fluttered, shopkeepers had already prepared a grand feast for Qixi Festival.

Along the street, rows of various cowherd masks are displayed on carved wooden cabinets, some gilded and silvered, others with blue faces and fangs, gleaming faintly in the twilight.

Newly tailored gowns hung in front of the silk shop, their light silk like mist, the starry patterns embroidered with gold thread trembling in the evening breeze, as if they were about to fly into the heavens.

The tavern waiter broke the clay seal on the Daughter's Red wine, releasing a rich aroma mixed with the scent of osmanthus.

As Jiang Xingzhou turned the corner of Wuyi Lane, the festive atmosphere of Qixi Festival, with its vermilion gates and embroidered doors, came into view.

The maids of the wealthy family were setting up an incense table on the bluestone slab, with the pastries piled up in the shape of a seven-tiered pagoda and lotus roots carved into twin blossoms.

The young children were playing around the incense table.

A young boy was tiptoeing to reach the candied fruit on top, but accidentally knocked over the glass cup that held the candied fruit.

An old woman passing by laughed and scolded, "You little monkey, be careful the Weaver Girl will punish you so you can't thread the needle!"

The maids hurriedly cleaned up the mess.

"It's already Qixi Festival?"

Jiang Xingzhou suddenly realized something, and stopped abruptly for a long while before he was startled.

Before we knew it, it was already the Qixi Festival on July 7th.

The gentle breeze along the Qinhuai River is already tinged with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, and the sunset at the end of the long street is exceptionally beautiful—it is truly a paradise on earth.

Groups of young ladies strolled by, their white blouses and crimson skirts like dew-kissed lotus leaves. The seven-holed gold needles adorning their garments trembled with each graceful step, scattering shimmering light.

Even more striking are the young girls who, upon reaching marriageable age, apply their makeup under the moonlight, their hair adorned with star-shaped and silver combs that echo the Milky Way in the sky, their graceful steps and swaying with a melodious and captivating grace.

The young women wore their hair in a bun styled in the shape of fallen horses, with exquisitely crafted silver hairpins adorning their hair—the silver threads, as fine as gossamer, were coiled into a Bagua pattern, with a South China Sea pearl the size of a grain of rice at the center.

Jiang Xingzhou was admiring the beautiful scenery on the streets of Jinling when he suddenly heard a rapid "tap-tap" sound coming from the bluestone pavement behind him, which abruptly stopped three feet away.

"Master Jiang, please stay!"

A minor official in black robes hurried after them, his forehead glistening with sweat in the setting sun, his breathing noticeably rapid. He bowed and said, "Prefect Wei requests your presence, saying he has something to discuss."

Jiang Xingzhou raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking to himself, "Does the governor have something urgent to discuss?"

He returned to the governor's office, where the sandalwood doors were half-closed.

"This humble official greets Lord Wei!"

Jiang Xingzhou brushed aside the hanging bamboo curtain and stepped into the official residence of the prefect.

Wei Guanlan was engrossed in reading a volume of "New Poems on the Seventh Night of the Seventh Month," while wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner on his desk.

"Jiang Lang has arrived? Please have a seat."

Wei Guanlan snapped the book shut, turned his wrist, and placed it under the gold and silver inlaid paperweight. A hint of inquiry was hidden in the smile lines at the corners of his eyes. "I heard from Prefect Li that you've been quite free lately? Even the old woman selling Qiaoguo on Zhuque Street recognizes your sixth-rank heron robe."

"Your Excellency, I have finished my official duties at the Sima Yamen and will now go to the streets and alleys of Jinling to observe the people's conditions."

Jiang Xingzhou cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and answered with a smile.

"To understand the people's sentiments?"

Wei Guanlan suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, causing the tea in the celadon cup on the table to ripple slightly.

He casually took a roll of floral stationery from the coral pen holder and recited with a smile:
"I've heard that some scholars have already written a new poem specifically for you—"

'If the music is wrong, Jiang Lang will notice!'

Idly tossing my golden whip, I lean against the vermilion tower; drunk, I hold my Wu hook sword, gazing upon new sorrows.

They even composed a melody about it, which was sung on thirty-six painted boats on the Qinhuai River!

Wei Guanlan's gaze swept over Jiang Xingzhou's clothes, where traces of rouge from the previous night still remained, the lingering red resembling peach blossoms fallen into the snow in March.

A faint fragrance of orchids wafted from her sleeves—it was clearly the finest "Drunken Immortal Red" from the banks of the Qinhuai River.

A faint, ethereal fragrance wafted from her sleeves, clearly the unique "Red Silk Fragrance" of the Drunken Immortal's Painted Boat—this fragrance requires a combination of Western Region saliva and Lingnan pure heart orchid, and its price is comparable to an ounce of gold.

She was not a courtesan on a pleasure boat; she certainly couldn't afford such expensive incense.

"These courtesans on the pleasure boats are mostly from the common people, and they know the hardships of the common people. I, too, am here to understand the people's plight!"

Jiang Xingzhou felt slightly embarrassed as he stroked the kui dragon pattern on the jade pendant at his waist.

Before she could finish speaking, she was choked by this clumsy excuse, and a faint blush gradually rose behind her ears.

Wei Guanlan smiled and tapped the table lightly. "This year, a grand 'Qixi Literary Gathering' will be held on the Qinhuai River for Qixi Festival."

He pulled out a scroll of gold-painted Qixi Festival literary list from his sleeve, and as he unfolded it, a wisp of agarwood fragrance was released. "This governor is in charge of the education of this prefecture and will personally preside over this event."

The Qixi Festival literary gathering not only demonstrated the imperial court's educational policies but also highlighted the local cultural heritage.

The scholars who passed the imperial examinations in the ten prefectures and cities of Jiangnan, the Hanlin scholars, envoys from neighboring countries, and distinguished guests from other regions are all invited to the gathering. They will surely compete in literary sparring on the Qixi Festival!

Suddenly, he changed the subject, and smiled meaningfully, "If you have nothing to do tonight, you may come with me."

We can't let people make a fool of themselves in front of the governor's mansion.

This annual grand literary gathering has an influence that extends to all ten prefectures of Jiangnan Circuit, making it an extremely important literary gathering in Jiangnan Circuit.

Wei Guanlan naturally took the lead in hosting the event himself.

Government offices, academies, and scholars from all over the country would compete to write good poems and vie for first place in the Qixi Festival literary gathering.

The governor's office naturally wanted to compete as well.

However, it would be necessary to have Jiang Xingzhou, one of the "Four Great Talents of Jiangnan" and the top scholar in the Jiangnan provincial examination, accompany them to keep the scene in check.

"Yes, Your Excellency obeys!"

Jiang Xingzhou smiled broadly.

As dusk fell,

The city of Nanjing was ablaze with colorful lanterns.

On the Qinhuai River, painted boats are as numerous as the fabric of a woven tapestry.

On the Qinhuai River, painted boats floated with thousands of lotus lanterns, turning the entire waterway into a flowing galaxy.

Fireflies were placed in gauze bags and decorated on the railings of the painted boats on the Qinhuai River; these were commonly known as "firefly substitute lanterns".

The sandalwood stage in front of the Confucius Temple is lit up with glass lamps, and a puppet show is being performed, with string puppets depicting the story of Yang Guifei.

On the bamboo frame of the old teahouse, hundreds of gauze lanterns sway gently in the wind, their shadows casting riddles such as "A few letters have been sent since we parted years ago—a riddle about objects."

Qinhuai River.

Governor Wei Guanlan led the officials of Jiangnan Circuit to set up a "Qixi Star Worship Altar" to preside over the worship of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl stars, praying for national peace and prosperity and favorable weather.

Subsequently, the officials of the governor's mansion boarded thirty-six painted boats on the Qinhuai River to begin a grand literary gathering for the Qixi Festival.

The main pavilion for this year's Qixi Festival literary gathering is a three-story ship called "Xiefang Pavilion," which can accommodate thousands of people. With its vermilion lacquer railings and bright lights, it reflects the golden light across the half-mile-long river.

Wei Guanlan, the Prefect of Jiangnan Circuit, sat upright in the main seat, his face appearing lean and refined, accentuated by a lake-blue brocade robe. This powerful official in charge of Jiangnan was stroking his beard, gazing at the starry sky outside the cabin.

At the lower end of the table, on a rosewood official's hat chair, sat Du Jingchen, the provincial education commissioner, dressed in a blue robe and jade belt, his hand holding a scroll of "The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons" that was faintly visible.

Li Huai'an, the Prefect, led the officials in single file. Liu Mingchuan, the Registrar, stood solemnly in black robes, while Jiang Xingzhou, the Military Advisor, carried a misty aura.

"Greetings, Your Excellency the Prefect and the Head of Education!"

The scholars from the ten prefectures of Jiangnan wore either cloaks with peacock feathers, fish-shaped pouches, or ivory tablets, their jade pendants jingling.

On this main pleasure boat, besides guests who had passed the imperial examinations in Jiangnan,

Several envoys from neighboring countries—Xiangman, Niuman, and Human—were also seated among the guests.

Instead of being clad in scales, they donned the embroidered robes of the Great Zhou people, giving them a somewhat refined and scholarly air at first glance.

The barbarian envoy was extremely tall and robust, wearing a Confucian hat. His long nose kept unconsciously twirling the wine cups on the table, attracting frequent sidelong glances from the servants beside him.
Although the tiger-barbarian envoy was dressed in a long robe with wide sleeves, he could not hide his bulging muscles. With every move he made, his sleeves were taut, as if they would tear at any moment.

The ox-barbarian envoy was even more interesting; beneath his wide scholar's robe, a pair of ox hooves stood out incongruously on the brocade carpet.

These three barbarian ambassadors, though they tried their best to imitate the elegance of the human race, were ultimately just big-headed and uncouth, their forced attempt at scholarly attire only making them look awkward and comical.

Jiang Xingzhou's gaze sharpened slightly, and he couldn't help but take a few more glances at these visitors from a foreign land.

These delegations of envoys from various barbarian tribes south of Lingnan Road traveled thousands of miles to pay tribute to the Great Zhou capital.

As a vital transportation hub connecting the north and south, and a thoroughfare for both land and water routes, Jinling City naturally became a necessary stop for these southern barbarian delegations.

During tribute season, several missions would stop here for a short period, ranging from three to five days to ten days or even a month.

After Jiang Xingzhou arrived in Jinling, he met these barbarian envoys several times.

The barbarian envoys awkwardly tried to bow with their hands clasped on the banks of the Qinhuai River.

The barbarian envoy grimaced as a cup of hot tea scalded his mouth in the teahouse.

But today, on this painted boat on the Qinhuai River, where scholars gather, seeing these barbarian envoys dressed in scholar's robes, sitting upright and proper, adds a touch of absurdity and amusement compared to usual.

The main painted boat, "Xiefang Boat," slowly departed from the shore. Twenty-four musicians, with their delicate hands, played a newly composed piece, "Guangling San," on the zither, ruan, and konghou, their voices as clear as moonlight.

Governor Wei tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, closed his eyes to savor the piece, and suddenly opened them, exclaiming, "Excellent! I have heard many versions of 'Guangling San,' and this new score is the best!"

He had only heard Li Huai'an mention it, but had never heard it from his own ears.

"Wonderful!
The style and spirit of this piece are quite different from those of the past.

I heard that Jiang Lang changed the tune? Lowering the second string of the 'slow Shang mode' by a major second is truly astounding!

Du Jingchen clapped his hands and laughed, his fingertips lightly pressing down as if gesturing on a string.

"Ha ha!
'If the music is wrong, Jiang Lang will notice!'

It seems that Jiang Sima's reputation for skillful music is now widely known!

Someone shouted, and everyone laughed.

The swaying lanterns on the boat reflected its elegant charm in the shimmering water, like a galaxy fallen to earth.

"What's wrong with this music? Why does it send chills down my spine and make my hair stand on end?"

The barbarian envoy frowned, his fingers unconsciously clenching the hem of his clothes.

It couldn't make out the meaning of the music, but it felt that the piece was full of murderous intent, and it sent a chill down its spine.

It had listened to music on the banks of the Qinhuai River before, but it had never felt such a sense of unease and fear.

The murderous aura emanating from the strings of the zither was like the flash of swords and the shadows of blades, rushing towards you.

"Ha, how ignorant you are!"
You haven't listened enough!

This is the famous song from the previous dynasty, sung by Nie Zheng when he assassinated Han!

However, I used to find it bland, but now Jiang Sima has changed the tune. The style has changed drastically, and it has become a powerful and ruthless sound.

It evokes a profound sense of sorrow and righteous indignation, a feeling that a true friend would die for their principles, even at the cost of their own life.

Tiger Barbarian's eyes flashed with a sharp light, his fingertips tapping out a rhythmic sound like the clash of swords and the thunder of horses on the table, a look of shock flashing in his eyes.

Only the Bull Barbarian Envoy remained silent, his knuckles gently rubbing the rim of his cup, his copper bell-like eyes flickering slightly, as if he were pondering something.

This time, envoys from the three Nanling Elephant Barbarian, Tiger Barbarian, and Ox Barbarian kingdoms were ordered by the king to travel north to the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty to pay homage to the emperor and, incidentally, to assess the true strength of the Great Zhou.

The Great Zhou Dynasty stands majestically in the center of the Eastern Divine Land, with a vast territory and abundant resources.

Surrounded by various kingdoms, some are inhabited by demon kingdoms, while others are ruled by barbarian tribes.

These three barbarian kingdoms are adjacent to the Lingnan Circuit of the Great Zhou Dynasty. In recent years, they have maintained peaceful relations with the Great Zhou and there have been few wars.

On this journey north, we will pass through Jinling City in Jiangnan Province to inquire about the situation of the battle against the Taihu Lake demon army.

The Jiangnan region is renowned for its rich literary culture, characterized by its refined and graceful style, and rarely exhibiting any aggressive or ruthless tendencies.

Today, Governor Wei Guanlan held a banquet for the Qixi Festival and invited them, but he deliberately had the musicians play a revised version of "Guangling San" in front of them—the sound was as clear as golden spears and iron horses, and as sharp as a cold blade being drawn from its sheath!

What does this mean?
-
ps:
Sigh! Lately, I don't know what's wrong with me, I just can't seem to wake up properly no matter how much I sleep.

I get drowsy as soon as I start typing, and typing only keeps me awake for a short while.

My sleep schedule is all messed up, and it's another day of feeling completely out of sorts!
It took me more than ten hours to finish writing it.

(End of this chapter)